Tag Archives: Literature

April is the coolest month – for librarians! We celebrate National Library Week April 7th-13th, World Book and Copyright Day on April 23rd, and World Intellectual Property Day on April 26th.

You can still add to #MyLibraryMyStory on Twitter, and join the thousands that have been blogging all month. Or just read the great tweets already posted!

What’s the difference between copyright and an intellectual property claim? Intellectual property is the broadest, including copyrights, patents, and trademarks. These are then distinguished by the medium. If your idea is fixed in an image or text – like this page whether online or printed out – you can claim a copyright. If your idea is an invention for a machine or process, you can get a patent. If it is a slogan or logo distinguishing the origin of goods or services, you can claim a trademark. More information is at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Stop in and see our display on different kinds of intellectual property rights claims, how they contribute to our economy, and how to avoid violating them.

On January 1st 2019, works copyrighted in 1923 entered the public domain! This is the first “Public Domain Day” since Congress extended copyright in 1998. Books, films, and sheet music copyrighted that year in the United States are now free to use without seeking permission or paying fees. (Only the 1923 editions, if there are later copyrighted editions! Librarians call this the 1923 manifestation of a work.)

Some works from 1923 are startlingly out of touch with current values. The full lyrics of “Yes! We Have No Bananas” – a song refrain my family has sung for years – reveal it is an ethnic caricature. Songs making fun of ethnic groups were popular in the 1920s. The Library of Congress has more examples, plus curricula for teaching about them and about attitudes towards immigrants. As upsetting as such materials may be, having them publicly available is important to understanding our current social climate.

A librarian can help you locate public domain materials, and answer your copyright questions. Here’s to many happy returns of Public Domain Day!

October 17th is Black Poetry Day, a celebration of the voices of African-American poets.

This date was chosen to honor Jupiter Hammon, the first African-American to have a poem published (in 1760): he was born on this day. You can find more literary milestones in the encyclopedia Black Firsts.

In 1773 an entire book of poems by Phillis Wheatley was published in Philadelphia – a reprint of the edition she had published in London. You can read the second American edition online from our Ebooks collection. Wheatley was a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic, but died young.

We are participating in THATCamp Midwest @ Purdue University Fort Wayne. It will take place Friday October 5th from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., followed by optional discussion time. THATCamp Midwest @ Purdue Fort Wayne will function a bit differently than the usual THATCamp as there will be more focus on learning about digital humanities, which means we will have more structure and pre-scheduled sessions. It is perfect for faculty, staff, and students wishing to move into this field.

The day will include brief presentations, panel discussions, and workshops covering topics including: metadata tagging, social networking and data visualization, digital collections, digital project management, animation, augmented reality, and incorporating digital projects in classes/programs. A preliminary schedule is posted here on the website, where you can also register to attend. We hope to see you there!

African American literature has a long and fascinating history. This book examines 24 of the most recognizable and popular topics related to African American literature. Each piece is substantial enough to provide more information than a typical encyclopedia entry but not so long as to be tedious or overwhelming. Arranged alphabetically, the entries cover such writers as Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and August Wilson; major works, such as Invisible Man, Native Son, and Their Eyes Were Watching God; and a range of cultural topics, including the black arts movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and the jazz aesthetic. Entries are written by expert contributors and discuss the enduring significance of these topics in American history and popular culture. Each entry provides sidebars of interesting information and suggestions for further reading, while the set closes with a selected, general bibliography of print and electronic resources for student research. (From Google Books)